PawSox pitching shuts down Bulls again

The Pawtucket Red Sox shut down the Durham Bulls 4-1 Friday, giving the PawSox a sweep of the first two games of the four-game series.

The Bulls had entered Friday’s game tied with the Norfolk Tides for first place in the International League South.

Pawtucket got to tough-luck Bulls righthanded starter Alex Colome early, scoring single runs in the first and second innings and adding a two-run home run by catcher Ryan Lavarnway.

Colome, who lost for the fourth time in five decisions, entered the game with a 2.28 earned-run average, but saw that climb to 2.84 by the time he was replaced by Will Inman in the fifth inning.

In his four-inning outing, Colome gave up five hits and four runs, three earned. He struggled with his control, walking three, and struck out three.

Lavarnway had opened the scoring in the first with an RBI sacrifice fly, and the PawSox had gotten their second run on an RBI ground out by designated hitter Jackie Bradley Jr.

Righthander Allen Webster (1-0) shut down the Bulls for the first six innings, allowing just two hits and a run while striking out nine. The Bulls’ lone run off Webster came in the top of the third to cut Pawtucket’s early lead to 2-1.

Leftfielder Jason Bourgeois singled home fellow outfielder Brandon Guyer, who’d moved into scoring position on a single by third baseman Cole Figueroa. Guyer had reached when he was hit by a pitch leading off.

Inman, another righthander, kept the Bulls within striking distance with three innings of scoreless, no-hit relief and lefthander Jeff Beliveau kept the PawSox off the board by striking out the side in the eighth.

But PawSox relief pitchers Jose de la Torre and Anthony Carter choked off any Bulls comeback hopes with three innings of two-hit ball. Carter came in in the ninth and struck out three while allowing only a single to Leslie Anderson.

Carter picked up his second save of the season.

NOTES — Pawtucket’s Webster came to the parent Red Sox last August as part of the blockbuster deal that sent infielders Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto, pitcher Josh Beckett and outfielder Carl Crawford to the Los Angeles Dodgers. ... Anderson went 2 for 4 — the only Bulls player with more than one hit. Anderson took the team batting lead (.315) away from Vince Belnome (.308). Belnome’s numbers dropped after an 0 for 3 night. ... Games three and four of this four-game set will be played in Pawtucket at 1:05 Saturday and Sunday.